Inside Corporate America's Campaign to Ditch Workers' Compensation

Inside Corporate America's Campaign to Ditch Workers' Compensation

Friday, 16 October 2015 00:00
By Michael Grabell and Howard Berkes, ProPublica | Report


Standing before a giant map in his Dallas office, Bill Minick doesn't seem like anyone's idea of a bomb thrower. But backed by some of the biggest names in corporate America, this mild-mannered son of an evangelist is plotting a revolution in how companies take care of injured workers.

His idea: Let them opt out of state workers' compensation laws - and write their own rules.

Minick swept his hand past pushpins marking the headquarters of Walmart, McDonald's and dozens of his other well-known clients, and hailed his plan as not only cheaper for employers, but better for workers too.

"We're talking about reengineering one of the pillars of social justice that has not seen significant innovation in 100 years," Minick said.

.....(snip).....

Already in Texas, plans written by Minick's firm allow for a hodgepodge of provisions that are far different from workers' comp. They're why McDonald's doesn't cover carpal tunnel syndrome and why Brookdale Senior Living, the nation's largest chain of assisted living facilities, doesn't cover most bacterial infections. Why Taco Bell can accompany injured workers to doctors' appointments and Sears can deny benefits if workers don't report injuries by the end of their shifts.

And it's Minick's handiwork that allows Costco to pay only $15,000 to workers who lose a finger while its rival Walmart pays $25,000. .................(more)

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/33265-inside-corporate-america-s-campaign-to-ditch-workers-compensation